Monday, March 2, 2009

Schiller On the Media and News

Vivian Schiller started her new job as CEO of NPR last month, and she's hitting the circuit.

Her National Press Club speech today (March 2) emphasized the need to maintain the localism of affiliate websites and acknowledged that the "system" doesn't work well together. So true.

Schiller has an interesting set of challenges as NPR attempts to connect with digital natives, as well as diverse communities. To some degree public broadcasting, while not a slave to advertising, is a slave to listener donors, especially major ones who tend to veer into their last career as retirees. On one hand their sense of ownership of public media programming is charming; but it can also be a choke hold on adapting programming to increase listenership. By that same token, station leadership can also serve as a choke hold on innovation, and this was an issue I think Ms. Schiller addressed in her speech: to create a network, and that means centralization. Not all station managers are equal; some stations are innovating, some are not. That hurts NPR - they're relying on the affiliates to bring in the $$$.

The web oddly should be able to do just that. It can target niche audiences, and go after new ones with programming that can be distributed across mobile platforms. I subscribe to my nerdy public radio shows; there could no doubt be podcast only programs to serve specific audiences. I suppose this is the long tail theory approach to developing programming.

Schiller comes from a commercial media background (CNN, NYTimes). It'll be interesting to see how she brings those experiences into her work in public media.

No comments:

A few thoughts on public broadcasting, news, and where journalism is going...not from the dinosaur perspective.

Ann in Ohio

Drinking at a Kiplinger Party

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News Crushes

Raw news judgement isn't developed...it just is. KFAI's leader-facilitator-collaborator is Janis Lane-Ewart. As she has reminded me in the past, she is not a news person. Well, she might as well be. She displayed the right news instincts the night of the bridge fell down in Minneapolis, culling people resources, getting the feed from KSTP, and displaying her gentle fortitude in times of immense pressure. Janis is an example by doing, not saying. She done good.

Marisa Helms has quit Minnesota Public Radio. They did well to hire her: she was not only effective and accurate, she was ambitious in a profession that doesn't notice it very much unless you're covering a war zone. She decided she was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it any longer. And to that I say, good for her. I received 3 voicemail messages since she quit, all asking for references in support of applications for Marisa's job. I only hope they show as much courage as she has.

I'm reading Mary Mapes' account of her fall from grace at CBS news when the bloggers went to town on the documents she verified showing that Shrub had received preferential treatment in the Air National Guard to get out of serving in Vietnam. I don't agree with her on everything (like the press is the noble watchdog of democracy - there are too many corporate hack reporters and publications out there) but she showed a lot of courage under fire. She's also a babe, not that that matters so much, but I gotta say for someone with 25 years in broadcast news, Mary's well kempt. I hope I look that good when I'm her age.

Bill Moyers is still on my list. And the state of the union is still bleak, but Bill Moyers makes the future seem salvageable. Very sweet interview with Robert Bly...although I think people will die if Moyers goes off the air.

Ita Eyabong, one of the Kiplinger Fellows at Ohio State. He's drawing attention to the plight of African journalists in exile. We are so spoiled in the United States, and Ita reminds me every day (since his office is next to mine) that we can't waste air time and print space on Anna Nicole Smith. And he has a sexy mustache.

Elliot Jaspin, who just wrote Buried in the Bitter Waters. Check it out. This guy is suffering alienation in his own news bureau to shed light on yet another black eye on American history, racial cleansings. He also has an amazingly dry wit, which I find quite charming and cute. Smart and cute, who could ask for anything more?